Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, managing director and chief executive officer of Fidelity Bank plc, has called for deliberate policies, tailored financing and stronger collaboration to unlock the full potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women-led businesses and youth entrepreneurs across Africa.
Speaking at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2026 on Wednesday (4 February 2026), Dr Onyeali-Ikpe described the forum as “one of the continent’s most influential spaces for advancing trade, investment and inclusive growth”, stressing that the event’s theme resonates strongly with the realities facing African businesses.
APD 2026, which is running from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 February, is taking place under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate and Trade”.
Dr Onyeali-Ikpe highlighted the severe challenges confronting African SMEs, particularly limited access to formal credit.
“Less than 20% of African SMEs have access to formal finance, leaving a staggering US$331 billion financing gap,” she said.
Citing the International Finance Corporation’s MSME Finance Gap Report of 2025, she said Africa also records the world’s highest rate of female entrepreneurship, yet women-owned businesses continue to face structural barriers.
“These enterprises are facing severe financing and trade barriers,” she said.
Female model for finance
She further pointed out the irony that women-led firms usually perform better in terms of debt repayment.
“Data shows that out of [every] ten companies that have bad debt, only one is female led,” she said.
Dr Onyeali-Ikpe identified unlocking women-led trade as one of three urgent priorities for Africa’s single market.
“We must unlock women led trade,” she declared. She explained that empowering women has ripple effects across communities, citing UN research showing the impact.
“Women reinvest up to 90% of their incomes … into the families and communities,” she said. She also referred to AfCFTA projections of untapped potential.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area identifies over US$15 billion in untapped trade potential from women-led enterprises,” she said.
Demographic dividend?
Turning to Africa’s youthful population, the Fidelity Bank CEO urged policymakers and financiers to create pathways for young people to thrive through trade and innovation.
“We should convert Africa’s youth potential into enterprise,” she said. She warned that Africa’s growing workforce requires urgent job creation strategies.
“By 2035 … over 400 million young Africans are projected to reach working age,” she said.
Dr Onyeali-Ikpe called for digital trade platforms that reduce entry barriers for young entrepreneurs.
“We need to encourage digital trade platforms that lower entry costs and allow young entrepreneurs to scale faster with less capital,” she stressed.
She also highlighted the need to strengthen SME competitiveness through improved supply chain finance and harmonised documentation.
“African supply chain and trade finance volumes are well over €50 billion, compared to the estimated need of €240 billion,” she said.
Dr Onyeali-Ikpe outlined Fidelity Bank’s efforts to support SMEs through international expansion and specialised programmes.
Through its UK subsidiary, she said, the bank is supporting trade between West Africa and the UK. “Feedback UK provides … trade finance, personal banking, business banking, treasury services, commercial lending, mortgages and several others,” she explained.
She also highlighted the Fidelity Nigeria International Trade and Creative Connect, launched in 2022, which has helped SMEs access markets abroad.
“Participating SMEs have successfully entered markets in the United Kingdom and the United States,” she said.
Onyeali-Ikpe announced the bank’s commitment to women-led enterprises through its High Fidelity initiative.
“Fidelity Bank launched High Fidelity, a comprehensive value proposition tailored to support women at every stage of their entrepreneurial and personal journeys,” she said.
Under this initiative, the bank introduced a dedicated lending solution.
“The bank introduced the Fund … designed to provide women-owned businesses with access to finance at highly discounted interest rates,” she said.
Dr Onyeali-Ikpe also cited the impact of Fidelity’s SME Hub. “The Fidelity SME Hub … has helped over 50,000 SMEs transition from survival to scale through advisory support, capacity-building and access to tailored funds,” she said.
She further urged stakeholders to move beyond speeches towards practical implementation. “APD 2026 matters because Africa’s single market will not build itself. It will build through deliberate policies, targeted capital and accountable collaboration,” she said.
Dr Onyeali-Ikpe expressed hope that the Dialogues would translate into “bankable outcomes for Africa’s economy”, ensuring that SMEs, women and youth remain at the centre of Africa’s prosperity agenda.
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